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  2. English to German

wouldn't hold my breath

German translation: s.u.

20:32 Nov 28, 2002
English to German translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary
English term or phrase: wouldn't hold my breath
In einer Unterhaltung antwortet der erwachsene Neffe Sohn, leicht genervt bzw. erschöpft, auf folgende Frage seiner Tante:
"What color do you think your mother will choose for the carpet?"
"Wouldn't hold my breath."
Wie könnte die Anwort übersetzt werden?
Helmut Hetzer
Local time: 03:36
German translation:s.u.
Explanation:
I don\\\'t completely agree with the above interpretations. \\\"Don\\\'t hold your breath\\\" means \\\"don\\\'t expect anything to happen quickly\\\" - often with the implication that it may not happen at all. It refers to the fact that holding your breath (e.g. under water) is something you can\\\'t do for very long. Thus one might say \\\"The Council say they will come and repair the street lights, but don\\\'t hold your breath\\\". I have to say, though, that in the context given above the phrase simply doesn\\\'t make a great deal of sense, unless it is meant to imply that the mother is going to have difficulty making any decision at all.
Selected response from:

Armorel Young
Local time: 02:36
Grading comment
Thanks for your help, (and many others got it in a similar way, too) you put it just right. Within my context the expression is certainly meant ironical and I to do something like:
"Das/Die Entscheidung werden wir wohl kaum mehr erleben." OR "Könnte sein, dass wir das nicht mehr erleben"
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +9s.u.
Armorel Young
5 +2Ich würde nicht etwas besonderes o. zu viel erwarten
Susanna & Christian Popescu
4 +2siehe unten
Nicole Tata
3 +1"Darauf bin ich nicht besonders neugierig."
utebartz
4Ich möcht's nicht abwarten.
Robert M Maier
4Noch ein Beitrag
gangels (X)
2 +1siehe unten
Domenico Gio (X)


  

Answers


15 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5 peer agreement (net): +1
siehe unten


Explanation:
Bei einer solchen Frage, würde ich sagen: "Das will ich gar nicht wissen".
ohne Gewähr

Domenico Gio (X)
Spain
Local time: 03:36
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in ItalianItalian
PRO pts in pair: 36

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  utebartz: ja, im Sinne von "darauf warte ich nicht", "es interessiert mich nicht"
25 mins
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39 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
"Darauf bin ich nicht besonders neugierig."


Explanation:
"to hold one's breath" = "aufgeregt" oder "angespannt" oder auch "mit Spannung auf etwas warten"

Alternative:
"Darauf bin ich nicht gerade super-gespannt" (umgangsprachlicher).

"Das reißt mich wohl kaum vom Hocker." (noch umgangsprachlicher)

Grüße
Ute

utebartz
PRO pts in pair: 27

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Beate Lutzebaeck
3 mins
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49 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
Ich würde nicht etwas besonderes o. zu viel erwarten


Explanation:
Don't hold your breath actually means "Erwarte nicht zu viel" (ironical),
here: I wouldn't expect that she would buy anything very special// choose an interesting/nice colour


    Reference: http://www.google.de/search?q=cache:0VJ48va5eGAC:cami.tgciti...
Susanna & Christian Popescu
Germany
Local time: 03:36
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman, Native in RomanianRomanian
PRO pts in pair: 23

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Beate Lutzebaeck: "Ich würde nicht zu viel erwarten" finde ich bisher am besten
12 mins
agree  jerrie
1 hr
agree  Nancy Arrowsmith
15 hrs
disagree  Martin Schmurr: klingt aber seltsam in diesem Kontext!
18 hrs
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +9
s.u.


Explanation:
I don\\\'t completely agree with the above interpretations. \\\"Don\\\'t hold your breath\\\" means \\\"don\\\'t expect anything to happen quickly\\\" - often with the implication that it may not happen at all. It refers to the fact that holding your breath (e.g. under water) is something you can\\\'t do for very long. Thus one might say \\\"The Council say they will come and repair the street lights, but don\\\'t hold your breath\\\". I have to say, though, that in the context given above the phrase simply doesn\\\'t make a great deal of sense, unless it is meant to imply that the mother is going to have difficulty making any decision at all.

Armorel Young
Local time: 02:36
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 259
Grading comment
Thanks for your help, (and many others got it in a similar way, too) you put it just right. Within my context the expression is certainly meant ironical and I to do something like:
"Das/Die Entscheidung werden wir wohl kaum mehr erleben." OR "Könnte sein, dass wir das nicht mehr erleben"

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  TonyTK: Exactly. ("Frag' mich in drei Wochen wieder.")
45 mins
agree  Teresa Reinhardt
57 mins
agree  Nicole Tata: absolutely right - also see my answer below
58 mins
agree  langnet: "da würde ich nicht drauf warten"
1 hr
agree  yeswhere
2 hrs
agree  labusga
7 hrs
agree  Chris Rowson (X): Yes, it´s ironically humorous - TonyTK´s three weeks seems like a good way to translate it.
8 hrs
agree  Louise Mawbey
10 hrs
agree  gangels (X): Darüber reiß ich mir nicht die Haare aus
17 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
siehe unten


Explanation:
Armorel hat mit seiner Erklärung völlig Recht. "Wouldn't hold my breath" ist ironisch gemeint und heißt soviel wie:

Da kannst du lange warten.
Das kann noch 'ne Weile dauern.
Das wird nicht so schnell gehen.

Obwohl "das interessiert mich nicht besonders" o.ä. als Antwort auf die Frage besser passen würde. Hm. Fällt es der Mutter vielleicht immer schwer, sich zu entscheiden? Wer weiß.

Nicole Tata
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:36
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 340

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  langnet
53 mins
agree  Uta Muller
11 hrs
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17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Ich möcht's nicht abwarten.


Explanation:
Mein erster Einfall war ganz ähnlich wie der von langnet, "Da würd ich nicht drauf warten". Aber für diese Situation (die schon allein durch die Antwort hinlänglich charakterisiert ist, wie ich finde) fand ich das hier dann doch noch besser.

Robert M Maier
Local time: 03:36
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 72
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18 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Noch ein Beitrag


Explanation:
Dafür würde ich nicht die Hand ins Feuer legen


oder


Eine Wette würde ich nicht eingehen


But Amorel is right

gangels (X)
Local time: 19:36
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in pair: 138
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